LANSING – The first of the House-originated budgets have gone to the full Senate as the Appropriations Committee reported four spending plans for the departments of Agriculture, Military and Veterans Affairs and State Police and the state’s judiciary and IT funding took a hit.

The closest item to come to controversy as the budgets were reported were amendments to the State Police (HB 5526) and Military Affairs (HB 5522) budgets requiring each department to trim 7 percent from the grants they pay to the Department of Information Technology.

A top official from the State Police said it opposed the cut because it would have to draw funds from other areas to make sure Information Technology could provide it with the necessary communications and information it requires.

But Sen. Valde Garcia (R-Howell) said Information Technology will have to “streamline their services.” There is room for the department to cut its expenses, he said.

The State Police budget totals $477.1 million, $245.6 million in general funds. The general fund budget is $150,000 larger than Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s recommendation and the House-passed version, but that funding handles benefits under PA 46, 2004, which provides survivor benefits for police officers disabled or for the families of police officers killed.

The measure also adds another $1 million to the department to deal with a backlog of DNA samples.

And the budget adds $1.2 million in U.S. Department of Homeland Security grants for emergency management purposes.

The military affairs budget totals $110.9 million, $37.6 million in general funds. It is $1 million in general funds less than the House version and matches the governor’s proposal.The major change in the budget is $3.3 million in federal funding for maintenance, security and personnel costs at the state’s headquarters and armories.

The budget also rejects a proposal from Granholm that the department ensure that at least 75 percent of the Challenge Program participants – the Challenge program is an education based program – come from families at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

The judiciary budget, HB 5520, totals $253.2 million, $158 million in general funds. The general fund portion is $1,200 less than Ms. Granholm’s recommendation.

The budget replaces $1 million in general funds with additional restricted revenues generated by the increased court fees that took effect in October.

The budget is also reduced by $101,700 out of judges’ salaries because of expected reductions in the number of judges in the state.

And the Department of Agriculture budget (HB 5509) totals $115.9 million, $31.5 million in general funds. The Senate general fund totals matches the governor’s and is $10,000 more than the House version.

The major part of the budget is $17.75 million in additional federal funding for efforts to control the emerald ash borer.

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